* In ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'', Cale's father's last words to him are "I will see you again. I promise," despite the fact that he must know it's likely that he won't. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Cale later encounters a recorded message from his father confirming that if it was activated, he is dead. The message then asks Cale to forgive him for breaking his promise]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'', Cale's father's last words to him are "I will see you again. I promise," despite the fact that he must know it's likely that he won't. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Cale later encounters a recorded message from his father confirming that if it was activated, he is dead. The message then asks Cale to forgive him for breaking his promise]].

* In the sixteenth-century text ''ThePrince'', author Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli explicitly states that at times it is necessary for a ruler to make empty promises for the sake of his country.

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* In the sixteenth-century text ''ThePrince'', ''Literature/ThePrince'', author Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli explicitly states that at times it is necessary for a ruler to make empty promises for the sake of his country.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as {{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that'd called for help in the meantime. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.* In ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', this trope is subverted. When Enzo appears to be losing a game against the user, Andrala promises Frisket everything will be ok, and resets their icons. When the game cube vanishes, it appears as though Andrala had made an empty promise, which is partly true; by resetting their icons to game sprite mode, she ensured the three of them would live even if they lost the game, but they wouldn't be able to return to Mainframe.* In TitanAE, Cale's father's last words to him are "I will see you again. I promise", despite the fact that he must know it's likely that he won't. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Cale later encounters a recorded message from his father confirming that if it was activated, he is dead. The message then asks Cale to forgive him for breaking his promise]].* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In the episode where [[spoiler:Jet]] dies, he tells his friends he'll be fine. Unfortunately, LivingLieDetector Toph is nearby, and although she waits to be out of earshot of the other two...

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* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as {{Voltron}}'s Anime/{{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that'd that had called for help in the meantime.help. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.* In ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', this trope is subverted. When Enzo appears to be losing a game against the user, Andrala User, [=AndrAIa=] promises Frisket everything will be ok, ok and resets their icons. When The Game Cube vanishes and the game cube vanishes, system announces "Game over, User wins," so it appears as though Andrala [=AndrAIa=] had made an empty promise, which is partly true; true: by resetting their icons to game sprite mode, she ensured the three of them would live even if they lost the game, but they wouldn't be able to return to Mainframe.game by leaving Mainframe with the Cube.* In TitanAE, ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'', Cale's father's last words to him are "I will see you again. I promise", promise," despite the fact that he must know it's likely that he won't. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Cale later encounters a recorded message from his father confirming that if it was activated, he is dead. The message then asks Cale to forgive him for breaking his promise]].* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode where [[spoiler:Jet]] dies, [[spoiler:Jet dies]], he tells his friends he'll be fine. Unfortunately, LivingLieDetector Toph is nearby, and although she waits to be out of earshot of the other two...

Added DiffLines:

[[AC:RealLife]]* In the wake of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the [[SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn SovietUnion]] promised the Allies that they would allow free elections in the territories they occupied. Nobody was surprised when those "elections" put Communist parties in power that declared their allegiance to Moscow. Stalin managed to avert this at the same time by keeping his promise to leave Greece in the Allied sphere of influence by not actively supporting the communists in the Greek Civil War.

* ''RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as {{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that'd called for help in the meantime. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.

to:

* ''RobotChicken'' ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' uses it in a horrifically bleak, though still funny, BlackComedy way, as {{Voltron}}'s CombiningMecha sequence is taking so long that the enemy's destroying the space station that'd called for help in the meantime. The general's young sidekick is dying in the wreckage, blind and crippled from his injuries, and asks if Voltron's arrived. The general lies and tells him yes, Voltron's here and it's all going to be okay now, before [[MercyKill shooting him]] so he'll die painlessly.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In the episode where [[spoiler:Jet]] dies, he tells his friends he'll be fine. Unfortunately, LivingLieDetector Toph is nearby, and although she waits to be out of earshot of the other two...--> '''Toph:''' He's lying.

* Kazuki of ''BusouRenkin'' promised Tokiko they'd fight Victor together, even if it meant they would be killed. Ultimately he valued her life too much, and broke the promise to [[SealedEvilInADuel fight Victor one-on-one]].

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* Kazuki of ''BusouRenkin'' ''Manga/BusouRenkin'' promised Tokiko they'd fight Victor together, even if it meant they would be killed. Ultimately he valued her life too much, and broke the promise to [[SealedEvilInADuel fight Victor one-on-one]].

* In You's route in ''{{Ever17}}'', You and the Kid are discussing the Kid's apparent ability to predict the future when the Kid says they'll definitely be rescued. You asks if that's a premonition; the Kid says that it's a promise. If you get the BadEnd, the Kid ends up lamenting his inability to keep his promise as they both die.

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* In You's route in ''{{Ever17}}'', ''VisualNovel/{{Ever17}}'', You and the Kid are discussing the Kid's apparent ability to predict the future when the Kid says they'll definitely be rescued. You asks if that's a premonition; the Kid says that it's a promise. If you get the BadEnd, the Kid ends up lamenting his inability to keep his promise as they both die.

* In ''Literature/SpocksWorld'', Kirk wants to tell [[spoiler: T'Pau]] that they're not going to die, but he feels as though the sheer blatant falsehood of it would be insulting.

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* In ''Literature/SpocksWorld'', Kirk wants to tell [[spoiler: T'Pau]] that they're not going to die, but he feels as though the sheer blatant falsehood of it it, given said character's condition, would be insulting.

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